JPR Staff & Volunteers

Abby Kraft manages the numerous relationships JPR enjoys with the businesses and professionals who support our work as program underwriters. In addition, she's the editor of JPR's member magazine, The Jefferson Journal.

AJ McCalla received a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from Quest University Canada in 2022, with a focus on theatre and music history. Though new to this side of the microphone, he has been a fan of classical radio since childhood.

Calena is a graduate of the Sociology and Anthropology program at Southern Oregon University and joined the JPR staff when she graduated in 2019. She helps JPR listeners make the connections they need to get the most out of our programming and service to the region and assists with a variety of station needs including accounting, marketing, event planning and broadcast production.

Charlie Zimmermann is the Assistant Producer of the Jefferson Exchange. They plan themed weeks of programming, host occasional segments, produce podcasts, and keep everything running smoothly in “JX-land”.

Danielle earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2007 from Southern Oregon University and has remained in the Rogue Valley pursuing a performance career -- as a model, actor, and live performance vocalist. She began hosting Open Air on JPR's Rhythm & News Service in 2015.

Darin is JPR's technical Superman. He keeps JPR’s 50+ transmitter and relay sites humming so our listeners can hear the programs they rely on each day. He enjoys majestic vistas from the many remote mountain-top JPR communication sites on which he regularly works.

Dave Jackson curates the music on JPR's Rhythm and News Service, manages music staff and hosts Open Air, JPR's hand-picked house blend of music, JPR Live Sessions and Open Air Amplified. The exploration of music has been one of his lifelong passions.

Dave has worked in broadcasting for over 30 years as an on-air host, producer, writer, and recording engineer. He now oversees news hosts at JPR and also manages radio operations.

Erin Collins is a southern transplant, coming to the Pacific Northwest from the state of Alabama. After a career in live theater, she is overjoyed to bring her experience to JPR, where she hosts Weekend Edition.

Heather Holben was born and raised in Southern Oregon, and is currently pursuing a degree in English with a minor in History at Southern Oregon University. Heather helps JPR listeners get the information they need about our service and programming.

Jane Vaughan is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. Jane began her journalism career as a reporter for a community newspaper in Portland, Maine. She's been a producer at New Hampshire Public Radio and worked on WNYC's On The Media.

Justin Higginbottom is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. He's worked in print and radio journalism in Utah as well as abroad with stints in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He spent a year reporting on the Myanmar civil war and has contributed to NPR, CNBC and Deutsche Welle (Germany’s public media organization).

Liam Moriarty has been covering news in the Pacific Northwest for three decades. He served two stints as JPR News Director and retired full-time from JPR at the end of 2021. Liam now edits and curates the news on JPR's website and digital platforms.

Mike Green is host of the Jefferson Exchange. Mike has lived in Southern Oregon for more than two decades. He is an award-winning print journalist with over 20 years experience in media, specializing in media innovation, inclusive economics and entrepreneurship.

Milt is the producer and host of Morning Edition on JPR. He has worked as a television meteorologist and broadcast journalist in both southern Oregon and his home state of Alaska. Milt has degrees and certifications in communications and atmospheric science.

Natalie Golay is the Senior Producer of the Jefferson Exchange. She has a B.A. in Visual Arts, a multimedia certificate from the Vancouver Film school, and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. A communications professional for over 20 years, she is a natural storyteller with extensive audio and video production skills.

Noah hosted his first Open Air shift in the Spring of 2015. He spent his younger years deejaying parties, teaching ballroom and other dances across the country, and participating in theatre arts. He's now a foster provider for young people experiencing disabilities, but still takes to the airwaves at JPR to spin some tunes and share some great music.

Paige Farrell is a retired Physician Assistant and helps JPR listeners at our front desk. She loves helping the community using the skills she's acquired over her lifetime.

Paul Westhelle oversees management of JPR's service to the community.  He came to JPR in 1990 as Associate Director of Broadcasting for Marketing and Development after holding jobs in non-profit management and fundraising for a national health agency. He's a graduate of San Jose State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Roman Battaglia is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. After graduating from Oregon State University, Roman came to JPR as part of the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. He then joined Delaware Public Media as a Report For America fellow before returning to the JPR newsroom.

Soleil manages JPR's Administration and Finance departments, overseeing the myriad financial and reporting requirements necessary to enable JPR to serve the region. She earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from Southern Oregon University and a Bachelor's of Science in Community Development from Portland State University.

Sue Jaffe joined the JPR staff as Membership Coordinator in 2013. She works with JPR listeners and supporters to ensure their membership is always current. A former Rogue Valley restaurateur, Sue supervises the JPR staff's culinary well being.

Valerie Ing was a teenager when she hosted her first music program on the airwaves. As a student at SOU, she was JPR’s Chief Student Announcer and the first volunteer in our newsroom. She's now JPR’s Northern California Program Coordinator, hosting Siskiyou Music Hall from JPR's Redding studio in the Cascade Theatre.

Vanessa Finney hosts All Things Considered on JPR and produces two segments for The Jefferson Exchange: My Better Half and The Creative Way.

Dr. Alan Journet is a retired biology professor from Southeast Missouri State University who began producing a two-hour classical music program for public radio station KRCU in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in 1981. Alan contacted JPR in 2010 and was delighted to fill an opening on JPR's Classics and News Service.

Alex grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the Rogue Valley in 1994. He's been a pledge drive volunteer at JPR for over ten years and in 2019 began as a substitute host for Jazz Sunday on JPR.

Craig Faulkner was born in 1948 in San Francisco and lived in Santa Barbara for many years before moving to Southern Oregon in 1990. He is the curator of American Rhythm – The Gourmet Oldies Show, first aired on February 1, 1997 and heard every Saturday evening since.

Crystal graduated from Southern Oregon University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in the Business and Mathematics co-major and another in Psychology, and upon graduating took a full time position at CDS, a commercial printing company located in Medford. Later, in 2013 she earned a Master's in Business Administration from SOU while continuing to work full-time for CDS.

After a 15-year career as a logger, "Good Rockin' Derral" Campbell went back to Humboldt State University with the goal of becoming a Blues DJ, which he's been now for over 30 years.

Don Kahle is a Friday columnist for The Register-Guard as well as a contributor to the Jefferson Journal. For ten years he published the Comic News and is now executive director for the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the owner of a small advertising agency called !AH !HA Design.

Ed Hyde, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, moved to the Rogue Valley in late 2000. He discovered JPR soon after that, and at some point responded to an announcement that JPR was looking for volunteers. Ed first appeared on the air at JPR in 2004 and has been a fill-in Classics host on First Concert and Siskiyou Music Hall ever since.

Frances has lived in the Rogue Valley for over 20 years and was a volunteer engineer and on-air host at JPR in the 1990's before taking a hiatus to spend more time with her family. Now she is back on the air sharing volunteer on-air hosting duties for the Folk Show.

Lars opened The Retro Lounge with 'The Nurse' in October of 1993, enjoying an accolade since that time.

Laurell has a background in visual arts from studies at Southern Oregon University and Washburn University, and graduated with a self-designed BA in Fiber Arts from the College of Santa Fe in 2003. She was a staff member and operations engineer at Santa Fe’s public radio station KSFR, host and producer of 'Folk Remedy' from 2008 to 2011, as well as co-host of the political talk show ‘Living On the Edge’ and cooking show ‘Mouth Of Wonder’. In recent years she’s DJ’d at Oregon stations KLCC and KSOW in the Eugene area.

Madeleine DeAndreis-Ayres developed a passion for writing for an audience as editor of her high school newspaper, the Eureka High Redwood Bark. She comes from a long line of teachers and became a teacher herself, retiring from teaching in Scott Valley. She now lives in Ashland with her husband Jim.

Pepper Trail is a naturalist, photographer, writer, and world traveler who has lived in Ashland since 1994. He works as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in his spare time leads natural history trips to every corner of the world. Pepper is a regular essayist for the Jefferson Journal.

Raymond Scully moved to the Rogue Valley in 2004. He has over 30 years of radio experience, and has taken on many roles at JPR -- writing for and co-hosting the Jefferson Daily, voicing underwriter credits, and filling-in for both the Morning News and Open Air. He produced over 2,800 episodes of As It Was: Tales From The State Of Jefferson, which ended a 15-year run in 2020. Raymond continues to forge new horizons in his radio career, this time in classical music, hosting First Concert twice a month on Saturday mornings.

Scott Dewing is a technologist, teacher, and writer. He writes the technology focused column "Inside the Box" for the Jefferson Journal. Scott lives on a low-tech farm in the State of Jefferson. He was born in the same year the Internet was invented and three days before men first landed on the moon. Scott says this doesn't make him special--just old.

Traci 'The Nurse' Svendsgaard was born. Exact details are sketchy, but Whittier, California and Bruno, Nebraska are both mentioned. No dates. As 'The Nurse', she has excelled in her appointed mission: to be there for listeners of The Retro Lounge, should the excitement of the evening overwhelm. Her 'Nurse's Pick' on each week's show has been almost thought provoking over the years.

Dave has worked in broadcasting for over 30 years as an on-air host, producer, writer, and recording engineer. He now oversees news hosts at JPR and also manages radio operations.

Dirk VanderHart is JPR's Salem correspondent reporting from the Oregon State Capitol. His reporting is funded through a collaboration among public radio stations in Oregon and Washington that includes JPR.

Erik Neumann is JPR's news director. He earned a master's degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and joined JPR as a reporter in 2019 after working at NPR member station KUER in Salt Lake City.

Jane Vaughan is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. Jane began her journalism career as a reporter for a community newspaper in Portland, Maine. She's been a producer at New Hampshire Public Radio and worked on WNYC's On The Media.

Juliet Grable is a writer based in Southern Oregon and a regular contributor to JPR News. She writes about wild places and wild creatures, rural communities, and the built environment.

Justin Higginbottom is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. He's worked in print and radio journalism in Utah as well as abroad with stints in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He spent a year reporting on the Myanmar civil war and has contributed to NPR, CNBC and Deutsche Welle (Germany’s public media organization).

Kevin Opsahl is a journalist based in Medford and a regular contributor to JPR News.

Liam Moriarty has been covering news in the Pacific Northwest for three decades. He served two stints as JPR News Director and retired full-time from JPR at the end of 2021. Liam now edits and curates the news on JPR's website and digital platforms.

Mike Green is host of the Jefferson Exchange. Mike has lived in Southern Oregon for more than two decades. He is an award-winning print journalist with over 20 years experience in media, specializing in media innovation, inclusive economics and entrepreneurship.

Milt is the producer and host of Morning Edition on JPR. He has worked as a television meteorologist and broadcast journalist in both southern Oregon and his home state of Alaska. Milt has degrees and certifications in communications and atmospheric science.

Natalie Golay is the Senior Producer of the Jefferson Exchange. She has a B.A. in Visual Arts, a multimedia certificate from the Vancouver Film school, and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. A communications professional for over 20 years, she is a natural storyteller with extensive audio and video production skills.

Roman Battaglia is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. After graduating from Oregon State University, Roman came to JPR as part of the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. He then joined Delaware Public Media as a Report For America fellow before returning to the JPR newsroom.

Vanessa Finney hosts All Things Considered on JPR and produces two segments for The Jefferson Exchange: My Better Half and The Creative Way.

Dr. Alan Journet is a retired biology professor from Southeast Missouri State University who began producing a two-hour classical music program for public radio station KRCU in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in 1981. Alan contacted JPR in 2010 and was delighted to fill an opening on JPR's Classics and News Service.

Alex grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the Rogue Valley in 1994. He's been a pledge drive volunteer at JPR for over ten years and in 2019 began as a substitute host for Jazz Sunday on JPR.

Craig Faulkner was born in 1948 in San Francisco and lived in Santa Barbara for many years before moving to Southern Oregon in 1990. He is the curator of American Rhythm – The Gourmet Oldies Show, first aired on February 1, 1997 and heard every Saturday evening since.

Danielle earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2007 from Southern Oregon University and has remained in the Rogue Valley pursuing a performance career -- as a model, actor, and live performance vocalist. She began hosting Open Air on JPR's Rhythm & News Service in 2015.

Dave Jackson curates the music on JPR's Rhythm and News Service, manages music staff and hosts Open Air, JPR's hand-picked house blend of music, JPR Live Sessions and Open Air Amplified. The exploration of music has been one of his lifelong passions.

After a 15-year career as a logger, "Good Rockin' Derral" Campbell went back to Humboldt State University with the goal of becoming a Blues DJ, which he's been now for over 30 years.

Ed Hyde, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, moved to the Rogue Valley in late 2000. He discovered JPR soon after that, and at some point responded to an announcement that JPR was looking for volunteers. Ed first appeared on the air at JPR in 2004 and has been a fill-in Classics host on First Concert and Siskiyou Music Hall ever since.

Frances has lived in the Rogue Valley for over 20 years and was a volunteer engineer and on-air host at JPR in the 1990's before taking a hiatus to spend more time with her family. Now she is back on the air sharing volunteer on-air hosting duties for the Folk Show.

Lars opened The Retro Lounge with 'The Nurse' in October of 1993, enjoying an accolade since that time.

Laurell has a background in visual arts from studies at Southern Oregon University and Washburn University, and graduated with a self-designed BA in Fiber Arts from the College of Santa Fe in 2003. She was a staff member and operations engineer at Santa Fe’s public radio station KSFR, host and producer of 'Folk Remedy' from 2008 to 2011, as well as co-host of the political talk show ‘Living On the Edge’ and cooking show ‘Mouth Of Wonder’. In recent years she’s DJ’d at Oregon stations KLCC and KSOW in the Eugene area.

Raymond Scully moved to the Rogue Valley in 2004. He has over 30 years of radio experience, and has taken on many roles at JPR -- writing for and co-hosting the Jefferson Daily, voicing underwriter credits, and filling-in for both the Morning News and Open Air. He produced over 2,800 episodes of As It Was: Tales From The State Of Jefferson, which ended a 15-year run in 2020. Raymond continues to forge new horizons in his radio career, this time in classical music, hosting First Concert twice a month on Saturday mornings.

Traci 'The Nurse' Svendsgaard was born. Exact details are sketchy, but Whittier, California and Bruno, Nebraska are both mentioned. No dates. As 'The Nurse', she has excelled in her appointed mission: to be there for listeners of The Retro Lounge, should the excitement of the evening overwhelm. Her 'Nurse's Pick' on each week's show has been almost thought provoking over the years.

Valerie Ing was a teenager when she hosted her first music program on the airwaves. As a student at SOU, she was JPR’s Chief Student Announcer and the first volunteer in our newsroom. She's now JPR’s Northern California Program Coordinator, hosting Siskiyou Music Hall from JPR's Redding studio in the Cascade Theatre.

Abby Kraft manages the numerous relationships JPR enjoys with the businesses and professionals who support our work as program underwriters. In addition, she's the editor of JPR's member magazine, The Jefferson Journal.

Diana Coogle has been a JPR commentator for more than twenty years. She recently wrote a Ph.D. dissertation on Old English poetry and is currently working on a paintings-and-essays book with Applegate artist Barbara Kostal. Her first book of collected commentaries was an Oregon Book Award finalist. Her latest book, co-authored with Janeen Sathre, is Favorite Hikes of the Applegate: A Trail Guide with Stories and Histories.

Don Kahle is a Friday columnist for The Register-Guard as well as a contributor to the Jefferson Journal. For ten years he published the Comic News and is now executive director for the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the owner of a small advertising agency called !AH !HA Design.

Madeleine DeAndreis-Ayres developed a passion for writing for an audience as editor of her high school newspaper, the Eureka High Redwood Bark. She comes from a long line of teachers and became a teacher herself, retiring from teaching in Scott Valley. She now lives in Ashland with her husband Jim.

Pepper Trail is a naturalist, photographer, writer, and world traveler who has lived in Ashland since 1994. He works as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in his spare time leads natural history trips to every corner of the world. Pepper is a regular essayist for the Jefferson Journal.

Scott Dewing is a technologist, teacher, and writer. He writes the technology focused column "Inside the Box" for the Jefferson Journal. Scott lives on a low-tech farm in the State of Jefferson. He was born in the same year the Internet was invented and three days before men first landed on the moon. Scott says this doesn't make him special--just old.